Massive Multiplayer Role Playing Games

[Sparrowhawk]

I have been searching the internet trying to find out what these are (MMPRPG or some similar acronym), but I have been having very limited success. The only game I have found that I recognize the title of is Everquest (which I know nothing about except the title).

Anyone care to point me in the right direction? (either with some links of with some names of good examples of the game?)

I am very intrigued by the concept, and would like to find out more, as my internet search has largely failed, I thought of Apolyton, as the most knowledgable group of gamers I know of

/me looking for some help

[Skanky Burns]

MMORPG
Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.

http://www.mmorpg.com/ funnily enough should help you much in your search. Also, it links to various free or beta games, so you can get some first-hand experience of these types of games.

[Sparrowhawk]

Thanks for the help Skanky

...though from what I have read so far....maybe better that I don't find out!!

[Skanky Burns]

Just remember to keep your addiction in check.

If you maintain your addiction long enough, you will be able to level up faster than the others and then get revenge for them killing you and looting you when you were a lower level.

[LDiCesare]

Yes, the main point of these things is that those who can play it about 40h per week tend to make the game suck for those who can't play much. Beware the addiction.

[DrSpike]

These games have ways to make it enjoyable for all, even the ones who spend less time. Granted if you want to be the galaxy's most powerful person you have to put the time in, but you can play if you don't. For example in Eve (quite popular space based game) you can set research for your character's skills which takes a set amount of time in real time. Thus the person playing all day has no advantage over you in that regard. You can also specialise in missions which your character can handle at a low level.

[General Ludd]

Yes, the "addiction" is something to watch for. Alot MMORPGs are not so much played as invested in. But they can be alot of fun none-the-less.

I'd recomend DAOC, personally. I think it has a good mix of adventure, leveling, and PvPing. World of Warcraft is taking a similiar aproach, I think. Dark & Light (which is still in production) is looking to be perfect for the player who's interested in adventure and exploration. If you want to sit on your butt powerleveling all day, then Everquest is your game, and if you want nothing more than to PvP, Shadowbane is worth considering.

[duke o' york]

If you want a good idea of how crazy these games can get then please read this.
Some writer played mmorpgs for a year, and they were his only source of income.
He made a profit from selling imaginary stuff though.

[DrSpike]

I'm intrigued as to how PvP intensive games work. Do you just build a character and then fight other characters?

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by DrSpike
I'm intrigued as to how PvP intensive games work. Do you just build a character and then fight other characters?

The main differences are that 1) There's open PvP, of course. In games like everquest PvP is limited to special servers, which in turn end up having a much higher concentration of jerks and griefers.

and 2) character development is usually sped up. In Everquest, it takes somethign like 6 months for the average player to fully develop a character, but in Shadowbane it only takes a couple weeks, and less than that to get PvP ready since there's a curve in development where the higher you go the fewer returns you get. (In DAOC it takes about a month to get into the high-level PvP, but in the mean time there are special battlegrounds for mid-level characters to have fun in)

There's also some features added with the intention of encouraging PvP, like Shadowbane's much hyped Nation Building. But I think it was mostly a flop, since there really isn't much of a point to going to war outside of pissing matches. Cities only have one purpose - high level gear and trainers and only one requirement - gold. It just ends up making people camp monsters for gold to fund their cities (so that they can buy the high-end gear and camp monsters better) while their enemies try to tear it down and flush their hard-camped money down the toilet. Ends up being a pretty frustrating set up, i think.

[DrSpike]

So I can see why people would play these games, but exactly how the PvP works intrigues me, since I have never tried this genre in MP. Is the draw in skillful combat? I can see that doing quests and levelling etc is fun, but someone explain more about how a PvP fight works.

[General Ludd]

It varies from game to game. But just think about how combat usually works in an RPG and it's pretty much the same.


I'll use shadowbane as an example. The basics: You go into attackmode and target someone, your character starts swinging his weapon and doing his thing. How fast you swing, how often you hit, and how much damage you do are a result of your attributes and equipment. And then there are combat feats and spells, which add an element of "skill" or atleast player input to the combat. Warriros will have combat feats that increase damage, or powerblock (stoping their oponent from using any spells or feats) or stun, or reduce their defense or whatever. Well timed these can be devastating. Spells work in a similiar fashion, only their effects are more pronounced and they can be interupted if you are attacked during casting.

But things get much more complicated when there are groups of people, or sieges. In group vs. group co-ordination is key, and the side who focuses it's attacks most efficiently will usually win, even if outnumbered or out gunned. Voice chat is often use to call targets - they'll target certain classes first, like healers and 'nukers' and then run down the ladder of most threatening to least threatening. There are other sorts of tactics involved like warriors focusing on powerblocking the casters to prevent them from casting or assassins using their abilities to prevent a target from being healed while it's ganged up on. And then there are buffs and debuffs to take into account - a bard with the right group buffs up can swing the tide of battle.

PvP in shadowbane has turned into a sort of science... I personally liked it better when it was first released and everything was more easy going and ther was more roleplaying. Now there are rigoursly planned out character templates and horribly efficient methods of organization and powergaming that you have to adopt yourself if you want to compete.

[Skanky Burns]

In Dransik PvP was related to your stats (obviously), your weapon and your pots (healing potions). The draw is mainly from players who want to prove how "1337" they are by dominating lower-level players. Also, looting people is a very quick way to get better equipment.

[Sparrowhawk]

The concept of Player versus Player doesn't interest me much, I am more interested in working with other players then fighting them.

It sounds like Dark Age of Camelot and Everquest are both in this mold, but what do those of you who have tried these games think are the best right now?

[General Ludd]

Personally, I'd avoid Everquest like the plague. Go for Dark Age of Camelot.



And if you want to try out some alternative MMOGs check out WW2 Online (A war sim) or Planetside (which is basically a gigantic game of Tribes).